Attachment to swinging scaffolds.



'PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

W. B. STOO'PS. ATTACHMENT T0 SWINGING SGAPFOLDS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED HAY 3. 1906.

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM B. STOOPS,

PATENT OFFTOE.

OF OORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- FOURTH TO GEORGE W. SCOTT AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN M. MOOABE. BOTH OF OORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application fi1ed May 3,1906. Serial No. 314,999.

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILL1AM B. S'roors, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ooraopolis, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments to Swinging Scafiolds; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw-.

ings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved attachment for scaffolds, and it comprises a folding work-board which may be attached to the swinging platforms or scaffolds used by house-painters, the said work-board also serving the purpose of a guard for the safety of the workmen, and the invention further consists of a means for holding the scaffold away from the building and with the same means hold the platform normally level, together with the certain details of construction and combination of parts, as will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings ;Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary housepainters scaffold fitted with my improved combined work-board and guard rail, together with my improved means for holding the said scaffold away from'the building and at the same time keeping the platform normally level. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, a part of which is shown in section. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a cross section in elevation of the platform, showing the position of the workboard when folded and not in use. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the adjustable piece carrying one set of the rollers for holding the platform away from the building.

To put my invention into practice with the ordinary swinging scaffold or platform such as are in common use among housepainters, said scaffold comprising a bodyportion 1, formed of side rails attached to gether and a slatted floor, I first provide said scafiold with a means for holding it away from the building and keep the same I level when the added weight of the workboard is arranged thereon. This means consists of two supports 3, which are ar ranged. beneath the platform 1, and at points near either end of thesame, said supports being provided with upwardly extending semi-circular links 2, to which the operating ropes are connected to swing the scaffold properly from the eaves of the building. These supports 3 are formed with slots 4, which extend in the direction of their length, and are adapted for the reception of bolts 6, which adjustably secure slidable parts 5 to said supports, in such manner that said parts may be moved toward or away from the building and clamped at any desired position. These slidable parts 5 embrace the supports 3 and are formed at their outer ends with pieces 8 arranged at right-angles, the ends of which are bifurcated to receive small rollers 9, the upper rollers being above the center of the part 5 and the others below and at a greater distance therefrom, as will be best seen by reference to Fig. 3 of the drawings. By thus arranging the upper rollers 9 above the centers of the supports 3, the weight of the men upon the inner edge of the scaffold is transferred partly to said rollers, which tends to keep the said platform approximately at right-angles to the side walls of the building, and the lower rollers answer the same purpose to compensate for the added weight of the folding worklpoalrd connected to the outer edge of the scafol This workboard, above mentioned, con sists of two standards 10, loosely connected to the outside rail of the scaffold 1, by means of bolts 12, operating in short slots 11 and suitable straps-sockets 13, also attached to said side rail. By this construction and attachment of the lower ends of the standards 10, the same may be sustained in a vertical or upright position, or folded to the position shown in dotted lines at Fig. 1 of the drawings. This folding of the standards is accomplished by loosening the bolts 12, lifting the standards free of their sockets 1.3, and turning the same about their pivotal points. Pivotally connected to the top of the standards by means of bolts 16, is a rail 14, slotted as at 15 said rail having attached thereto and supported by brackets 18, an outwardlyprojecting shelf 19 to form a combined workboard and safety guard, which when in use occupies a position such as shown at Figs. 1 and 3, of the drawings. This work-board 19 is provided with a series of longitudinal slots or openings 21, in which the workmen may place their brushes by thrusting the handles of the same therein, and the rail 14, is also provided with a series of hooks 20, to which the paint receptacles may be hung when elevating or lowering the scaffold, thus securing the said utensils against accidental displacement or falling from the scaffold. To fold. the work-board to a position level with the scaffold 1, for the purpose of transportation and convenience of storage, it is only necessary to release the tension upon the bolts 12 and 16, lift the standards from engagement with the sockets 13, and permit the said standards to turn about the bolts 12 as pivots, the bolts 16 moving outward along the slots will allow the said work-board to descend to the position shown in Fig. 4, of the drawings.

Various slight modifications and changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore I do not wish to con fine myself to the exact construction, shown and described, but wish to claim all such modified forms as would come properly within the general scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination with a swinging scaffold including a platform and spaced side members, transverse members bearing beneath said side members and provided with longitudinal slots, and supports bearing upon opposite sides of said transverse members and with vertically extending ends having rollers above and below the supporting members,

whereby the platform is maintained in horizontal position.

In testimony whereof, I afIiX my slgnature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. STOOPS.

WVitnesses:

M. G. WALTER, O. A. I'IENSEL. 

